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LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


RECEIVED    BY   EXCHANGE 


Class 


OUTLINE 

OF 

NEBRASKA   HISTORY 


BY 

ALBERT  WATKINS 

HISTORIAN   OF  THE  NEBRASKA  STATE   HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


A   SPECIAL   PUBLICATION 


LINCOLN 
NEBRASKA  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


OUTLINE 
OF 

NEBRASKA  HISTORY 


OUTLINE 


OF 


NEBRASKA  HISTORY 


BY 

ALBERT  WATKINS 

HISTORIAN  OF  THE  NEBRASKA  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


A   SPECIAL   PUBLICATION 


LINCOLN 

NEBRASKA  STATE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 
1910 


OUTLINE  OF  NEBRASKA  HISTORY 

In  view  of  the  great  expenditure  in  Nebraska  of  time  and  money 
in  working  other  historical  fields,  no  apology  need  be  made  for  un- 
dertaking to  facilitate  the  study  of  the  history  of  the  state.  In  the 
following  outline,  topics  have  been  indicated  and  sources  and  other 
bibliography  cited  fully  enough  to  meet  the  needs  of  teachers  and 
students  as  well  as  general  readers.  The  card  index  of  the  State 
Historical  Society  shows  the  way  to  information  in  still  greater  de- 
tail. The  Society's  stock  of  classified  and  accessible  knowledge  of 
Nebraska  history  is  constantly  increasing,  and  it  is  its  policy  to  as- 
sist in  spreading  such  knowledge  in  every  feasible  way,  and  espe- 
cially to  encourage  the  systematic  study  of  the  subject.  The  Society 
will  furnish  requested  information  as  far  as  practicable  for  the  use 
of  schools,  clubs  and  individuals. 


ORIGINAL  APPLICATION  OF  THE  NAME. 

TERRITORY  COMPRISED  IN  "THE  NEBRASKA  COUNTRY." 
^    Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  I,  p.  136  et  seq. 

Executive  Documents,  1852-53,  v.  I,  pt.  i,  Doc.  I,  p.  380, 

and  v.  i,  pt.  2,  p.  71. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  p.  241,  foot  note  6. 

Repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise.    Ray. 
THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.   i,  pp.   117-130,  foot 

notes,  and  authorities  cited. 

John  B.  McMaster  in  David  Nutt's  History  of  the  Lewis 

and  Clark  Expedition,-  v.  i,  p.  7. 

Territorial  Development  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase.     Al- 
bert Watkins.     Ms.,  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical 

Society. 

Evolution    of    Nebraska.     Albert    Watkins.     Proceedings 

Mississippi  Valley  Historical  Association,  v.  3. 


317709 


6  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

KANSAS-NEBRASKA  BILL. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.   i,  pp.   131-159,  foot 
notes  and  citations. 

TERRITORY  ORIGINALLY   COMPRISED   IN   NEBRASKA 
AND  KANSAS. 

Ibid,  and  the  bill  itself. 

COMPARISON     OF     KANSAS-NEBRASKA     BILL     WITH 
OTHER  TERRITORIAL  ORGANIC  ACTS. 

Ibid.,  v.  i,  p.  158. 

Repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise.     Ray. 
PHYSICAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  NEBRASKA. 

a.  GEOLOGICAL. 

Geology  of   Nebraska   by  Jirwin  H.   Barbour,   Illustrated 

History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  3. 
x   Nebraska  Geological  Survey.     Erwin  H.  Barbour.     v.    i 

and  succeeding  numbers. 
f  Darton's  Geology  and  Water  Resources  of  Nebraska  West 

of  the  io3d  Meridian.    U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 
f    Darton's  Geology  of  the  Great  Plains.     U.  S.  Geological 

Survey. 
^    See  also  Geological  Bibliography  of  Nebraska  by  Barbour 

and  Fisher. 

Report  on  Honey  Creek  Coal  Mine.     Nebraska  Geological 

Survey,  v.  2. 

Coal  in  Nebraska.     Roy  V.  Pepperberg.     Nebraska  Geo- 
logical Survey,     v.  3,  pt.  10. 
Nebraska  and  the  Northwest.     Wilber. 

b.  PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

^     Geography  of  Nebraska.     Condra. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  pp.  80-87;  also  PP- 
82,  83,  86  and  89  for  illustrations. 

^    Explorations  in  Nebraska.     Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren.    Execu- 
tive Documents,  1858-59,  v.  2,  pt.  2,  Doc.  2,  pp.  634,  649. 
Article  on  Nebraska  in  Cyclopedia  Americana. 
Sketches  of  Physical  Geography  and  Geology  of  Nebraska. 
Aughey. 


OUTLIXI-:    OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  7 

c.  METEOROLOGY. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  I,  beginning  p.  12. 
Nebraska.     Cyclopedia  Americana. 

Climatic  Conditions  of  Nebraska.  Swezey.  Northwestern 
Journal  of  Education.  July,  1895. 

Climatological  Data  for  the  United  States.  Sections  35, 
36,  37.  Loveland. 

Explorations  in  Nebraska.     Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren.     Execu- 
tive Documents,  1858-59,  v.  2,  pt.  2,  Doc.  2,  p.  645. 
Nebraska  and  the  Northwest.    Wilber. 
VEGETATION. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  17.     Charles  E. 

Bessey. 

Ibid.,  chap.  7,  v.  2;  also  forthcoming  v.  3. 

INDIANS  IN  NEBRASKA. 

1 8th  Annual  Report  American  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  pt. 
2, — schedules  and  maps  of  Indian  territorial  locations. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,     v.  i,  chap.  2,  and  v.  2, 
chap.  6 — classification  and  treaties,  foot  notes  and  citations. 

jr      The  Pawnee  Indians.     Rev.  John  Dunbar.     Magazine  of 
American  History,  v.   4,  5. 

Life,  Letters  and  Travels  of  Father  Pierre-Jean  De  Smet, 
S.  J.  1801-1873.    De  Smet,  according  to  index. 
Ms.  by  John  Dunbar.     Library  of   Nebraska   State  His- 
torical Society. 

Explorations  in  Nebraska.  Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren.  Execu- 
tive Documents,  1858-59,  v.  2,  pt.  2,  Doc.  2,  p.  662. 

^-  Sketch  and   Diary  of   Moses   Merrill.     Transactions   Ne- 
braska State  Historical  Society,  v.  4,  pp.  157-191. 
Ms.  of  Samuel  Allis,  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical 
Society. 

Part  of  the  Making  of  a  Great  State.  John  A.  MacMurphy. 
Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  I,  2d 
series,  p.  n. 

The  Poncas.  Jay  Amos  Barrett.  Transactions  Nebraska 
State  Historical  Society,  v.  2,  2d  series,  p.  u. 


O  OUTLINE    OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

General  history  and  account  of  the  condition  of  the  tribes. 
Report  Secretary  of  Interior,  1872,  p.  391. 
Pawnee   council    1855   at   Fremont  village.     Transactions 
Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  2,  pp.  190-192. 
Indian  Wars  on  the  Nebraska  Plains,  1864-1880.     Albert 
>     Watkins.      Ms.    Library    of    Nebraska    State    Historical 
Society. 

Territorial  Military  History.  Illustrated  History  of  Ne- 
braska, v.  2,  chap.  5. 

Card  Index,  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 
Some  Sidelights  on  the  Character  of  Sitting  Bull.  Doane 
Robinson.  Proceedings  of  Mississippi  Valley  Historical 
Association,  v.  3. 

True  Story  of  Sitting  Bull.     Major  E.  G.  Fechet.    Trans- 
actions Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  2,  2d  series, 
p.  179. 
^    Letters  and  Notes  on  the  North  American  Indians.    Catlin. 

New  Indian  Sketches.     De  Sniet. 
EXPLORATIONS. 

CORONADO'S  EXPEDITION. 

Fourteenth  Annual  Reporr  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  pt.  i. 
Spanish  Explorers  in  the  Southern  United  States.     F.  W. 
Hodge. 

Harahey.     Jacob  V.  Brower. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  45. 
The  White  Man's  Foot  in  Kansas.    John  B.  Dunbar.    Kan- 
sas Historical  Collections,  v.  10,  p.  69. 

MALLET  BROTHERS'  EXPEDITION. 

The  Conservative,  May  22,  1902. 

The  Christening  of  the  Platte.    James  W.  Savage.    Trans- 
actions Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  3,  p.  67. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  48. 

LEWIS  &  CLARK. 

Journals  of  Lewis  &  Clark. 

The  Trail  of  Lewis  &  Clark.    Olin  D.  Wheeler. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  chap.  2. 


OUTLINE    OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  9 

Account  of  Expeditions  to  the  Sources  of  the  Mississippi 

and  through  the  Western  Parts  of  Louisiana,  1806,  1807. 

Lieut.  Zebulon  M.  Pike. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  2. 
CROOKS  &  MCLELLAN. 

History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade.    Chittenden.    v.  I,  p. 

159- 
j>       Journal  of  a  Voyage  up  the  River  Missouri,  1811.    Brack- 

enridge.     p.  78. 

Travels  in  the  Interior  of  America.     Bradbury. 
ASTORIAN  EXPEDITION. 

History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade.     Chittenden.     Chap. 

10. 
^       Astoria.     Irving. 

Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  the  Northwest  Coast  of  America, 

1811-14.     Gabriel   Franchere.      Published  with   Bracken- 
ridge's  Journal  in  Early  Western  Travel  Series. 

Magazine  of  American  History,  March,  1885,  v-  I3»  no-  3- 

Travels  in  the  Interior  of  America.     Bradbury. 

Journal  of  a  Voyage  up  the  River  Missouri,  1811.    Brack- 

enridge. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  57. 

History  of  Wyoming.    Coutant.    v.  I,  chaps.  7,  8,  10. 
YELLOWSTONE  EXPEDITION. 

Account  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.    Long. 

History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade.     Chittenden,  v.  2,  p. 

562. 

American  State  Papers — Military  Affairs — v.  2,  pp.  68,  69, 
324- 

Early  Steamboat  Navigation  on  the  Missouri.    Chittenden. 
v.  i,  p.  282. 

Niles  Register,    v.  19,  p.  47 — September  16,  1820. 
ELLSWORTH'S  EXPEDITION. 

United  States  Statutes  at  Large,  v.  7,  p.  448. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  I,  p.  44,  foot  note. 
Indian  Sketches.    John  T.  Irving. 


10  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

FREMONT'S  EXPEDITION,  1842. 
.  Exploring  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.     Fremont. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  61. 
YELLOWSTONE  EXPEDITION  (Capt.  F.  W.  Raynolds). 

Exploration   of   the   Cheyenne,   Yellowstone   and    Powder 
river   regions.      Senate   Documents,    1859-60.      Report   of 
Secretary  of  War,  pp.  541,  549. 
Ibid.,  1 860-6 1,  v.  2,  Doc.  i,  p.  146. 
EARLY  TRAVEL  AND  TRANSPORTATION. 

Exploring  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  map. 
Fremont. 
s,  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  America.     Maximilian. 

v.  i.     Thwaites'  edition. 
OREGON  TRAIL. 

1830     Letter  of  Smith,  Jackson  &  Sublette.    Senate  Docu- 
ments, 2d  sess.,  2ist  Cong.    Doc.  39,  pp.  21-23. 
Quarterly    Oregon    Historical    Society,    December, 

1903.  P-  395- 

1832     Wyeth's  Journals. 

1832     Captain  Bonneville's  Adventures.     Irving. 

1835     Travels  in  North  America.     Murray. 
">     J&35     Journal  of  an  Exploring  Tour.     Parker. 

1842,  1843  Exploring    Expedition    to   the    Rocky    Moun- 
tains.    Fremont. 

1843  Recollections    and    Opinions    of    an    Old    Pioneer. 
Peter  H.  Burnett.     Quarterly  of  Oregon  Historical 
Society,  March,  1904. 

>  1843  A  Day  With  the  Cow  Column  in  1843.  Jesse  Ap-. 
plegate.  Quarterly  Oregon  Historical  Society,  De- 
cember, 1900. 

1844  Reminiscences  of  Experiences  on  the  Oregon  Trail. 
John  Minto.     Quarterly  Oregon  Historical  Society, 
June  and  September,  1901 ;  March,  1904. 

1845  Journal  of  Travel  over  the  Rocky  Mountains.    Joel 
Palmer. 

1846  Oregon  Trail.     Parkman. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  II 

*>  1846  What  I  saw  in  California.  Bryant. 
1846  Oregon  and  California.  Thornton. 
1849  Stansbury's  Expedition.  Captain  Howard  Stans- 

bury. 
1849     Across  the  Rocky  Mountains.     Kelly. 

1849  Report  of  Major  Osborn  Cross,  Q.  M.  G.,  Senate 
Documents,  2d  sess.  3ist  Cong.,  1850-51,  v.  i,  Doc. 
i,  p.  128. 

1850  Solitary    Places    Made    Glad.      Henry    T.    Davis. 
Chap.  5. 

7*     1850    Journal  of  John  Wood.    Wood. 

1851  Western  Missions  and  Missionaries.     De  Smet,  pp. 
97-98. 

s  1852     Ventures  and  Adventures  of  Ezra  Meeker.    Meeker. 
>  1852     In  the  Early  Days  Along  the  Overland  Trail.    Cole. 

1852-1857  Explorations  in  Nebraska.  Lieut.  G.  K.  War- 
ren. Executive  Documents,  1858-59,  v.  2,  pt.  2, 
Doc.  2,  p.  620. 

1858  The  Prairie  Traveler — Containing  Itineraries.     Cap- 
tain Randolph  B.  Marcy,  U.  S.  Army,  and  Captain 
Richard  F.  Burton. 

1859  Beyond  the  Mississippi.     Richardson. 

>     1859     Overland  Journey   from   New   York  to  California. 
Greeley. 

7    1860    The  City  of  The  Saints.     Burton. 
v    1865     Bullwhacking  Days.     George   P.   Marvin.     Trans- 
actions Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  5,  2d 
series,  p.  226. 

1865     Across  the  Continent.     Bowles. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  chap.  3. 
History  of  the  American  Fur  Trade.     Chittenden. 

>  The  Overland  Stage  to  California.    Root  and  Connelley. 

>  The  Great  Salt  Lake  Trail.     Inman  and  Cody. 

Western  Incidents  connected  with  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road.    Seymour. 


12  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

}>     On  the  Road  to  Oregon.     Charles  M.  Harvey.     Atlantic 

Monthly,  May,  1910. 

/>     The  Story  of  the  Salt  Lake  Trail,  ibid.,  July,  1910. 
/    The  Ox  Team.    Meeker. 

The  Oregon  Trail.    F.  G.  Young.    Quarterly  Oregon  His- 
/    torical  Society,  December,  1900. 

Evolution    of    Nebraska.     Albert    Watkins.     Proceedings 
Mississippi  Valley  Historical  Association,  v.  3. 

Articles  on  Freighting  and  Staging  in  Early  Days.    Trans- 
actions Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  2d  series,  v.  5. 

Seventy  Years  on  the  Frontier.     Alexander  Majors. 
NAVIGATION  OF  THE  MISSOURI  RIVER. 
Journals  of  Lewis  &  Clark. 
Astoria.     Irving. 

Journal  of  a  Voyage  up  the  River  Missouri,  1811.    Brack- 
enridge. 

Travels  in  the  Interior  of  America.    Bradbury. 
Account  of  an  Expedition  from  Pittsburg  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  1819-20.     Long. 

American  State  Papers — Military  Affairs — v.  2,  pp.  68,  69, 

324- 

Col.  Henry  Leavenworth's  Arikara  Expedition, — ist  sess. 

1 8th  Cong.,  v.  i,  Doc.  2,  p.  90.    In  the  library  of  Chicago 

University. 

Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North  America.     Maximilian, 
v.  I.    Thwaites'  edition. 

Early  Steamboat  Navigation  on  the  Missouri  River.     Chit- 

tenden. 

Thirty  Years  a  Fur  Trader.    Larpenteur.    v.  2,  Appendix. 

Cones'  edition. 

List  of  Steamboats  on  Missouri  River,   1860.     Nebraska 
City  News,  February  23,  1861. 

St.  Joseph  and  Omaha  Packet.    Nebraska  City  News,  Feb- 
ruary 1 8,  1860. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  I,  pp.  99-107. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA   HISTORY  13 

Steamboat  Disasters.     Executive  Documents,   1857-58,  v. 
2,  pt.  2,  Doc.  2,  p.  344. 

The  Oregon  Recruit  Expedition.    Ms.  Library  of  Nebraska 
State  Historical  Society.     Albert  Watkins. 

Messages  and   Documents,   Report   Secretary  of   Interior 
1 860-6 1,  p.  306.    Alfred  J.  Vaughan. 

NAVIGATION  OF  THE  PLATTE  RIVER. 

Evolution    of    Nebraska.     Albert    Watkins.     Proceedings 
Mississippi  Valley  Historical  Association,  v.  3. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  pp.  104,  105,  108. 
ROADS. 

INDIAN  TRAILS. 

Exploring  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.    Map.  Fre- 
mont.    1845  edition. 

The  Conservative.    August  8,  September  5,  1901. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  I,  p.  73. 
WAGON  ROADS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  in  and  foot  notes. 

Ibid.,  v.  2,  p.  73,  foot  note. 

Laws  of  Nebraska,  First  Territorial  Session,  p.  329,  et  seq. 

The  Prairie  Traveler.     Marcy. 
>     Handbook  of  Overland  Expeditions.     Burton,  p.  179. 

Western  Incidents  Connected  with  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road.    Seymour. 

?   Platte  River  to  Running  Water  River.     Report  of  George 
L.  Sites,  Supt,  Executive  Documents,  1858-59,  v.  9,  p.  101. 

Ft.  Kearny,  South  Pass  and  Honey  Lake.    Executive  Doc- 
f  uments,  1858-59,  v.  9,  Doc.  108,  p.  5. 

y    Ibid.    Executive  Documents,  1 860-61,  v.  9,  Docs.  63,  64. 
MILITARY  ROADS. 

^   Ft.  Riley  to  Bridger's  Pass.     Senate  Documents,  1857-58, 
v.  3,  Doc.  n,  p.  455;  includes  table  of  distances. 

Ibid.,  1858^-59,  v.  3,  Doc.  i,  pp.  1031,  1044,  1097. 
Ibid.,  1859-60,  v.  2,  Doc.  2,  pp.  692,  760,  796-799. 


14  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

Omaha  to  Ft.  Kearny.     Senate  Documents,  1857-58,  v.  3, 

Doc.  i,  pp.  293,  525-534. 

Ibid.,  1858-59,  v.  3,  Doc.  i,  pp.  1031,  1288. 

Ibid.,  1859-60,  v.  2,  Doc.  2,  pp.  692,  797. 

From  Mendota,  Opposite  Ft.  Snelling,  to  Mouth  of  Big 
Sioux.  Senate  Documents,  1857-58,  v.  3,  Doc.  n,  p.  292. 

Ibid.,  1858-59,  v.  3,  Doc.  I,  p.  1200. 

Ft.  Benton  to  Walla  Walla.     Senate  Documents,  1 860-61, 

v.  2,  Doc.  i,  p.  147. 

Ibid.,  1861-62,  v.  2,  Doc.  i,  p.  549. 

Explorations  in  Nebraska.  Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren.  Pre- 
liminary report.  Executive  Documents,  1857-58,  v.  2,  pt. 
2,  Doc.  2,  p.  39. 

Ibid.,  1858-59,  v.  2,  Doc.  2,  pp.  585,  620;  pp.  649,  658,  com- 
parative routes  and  rates. 

^    Rocky  Mountain  Gold  Region  and  Emigrants'  Guide.   Burt 
and  Berthoud. 

y     Guide  to  the  New  Gold  Region  of  Western  Kansas  and 
Nebraska. 

EARLY  SETTLERS  AND  SETTLEMENTS. 

~  Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  164,  and  citations 
in  index. 

s      Nebraska  in  1857.    James  M.  Woolworth. 

Bellevue,  Larimer  and  St.  Mary.    John  Q.  Goss. 

Nebraska,  Its  Characteristics  and  Prospects.    James  Davie 

Butler. 

v  Johnson's  History  of  Nebraska.     Harrison  Johnson. 
/  *\  History  of  Nebraska.    Andreas. 

History  of  Omaha.     Sorenson. 

History  of  the  City  of  Omaha.     Savage  and  Bell. 

History  of  Lincoln.     Hayes  and  Cox. 

Journey  Through  Kansas.    Chap.  25.    Boynton  and  Mason. 
?     -V  Kansas  and  Nebraska.    Edward  Everett  Hale. 

A  Frontier  Life.     Wells. 

Life  and  Labors  of  Reuben  Gaylord.     Gaylord. 


OUTLINE    OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  15 

The  Trail  of  the  Loup.     H.  W.  Foght. 
y      Pioneers  of  the  West.     John  Turner. 

Addresses  at  the  Astorian  Centennial  Celebration,  Bellevue, 
Nebraska,  June  23,  1910,  under  auspices  of  Nebraska  State 
Historical  Society.  Chancellor  Samuel  Avery.  University 
of  Nebraska,  President  George  E.  MacLean,  University 
of  Iowa,  Albert  Watkins,  Gurdon  W.  Wattles,  President 
John  Lee  WTebster,  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society.  Mss. 
Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 

COUNTY  HISTORY. 

Antelope  County.     History  of  Antelope  County.     Leach. 

Boone  County.         Pioneers  of  the  West.    Turner. 

Dakota  County.         History  of  Dakota  County.    Warner. 

Dixon  County.          History  of  Dixon  County.     Huse. 

Nemaha  County.      Nemaha  County.     Dundas. 

Seward  County.       History  of  Seward  County.     Cox. 

Valley  County.         The  Trail  of  the  Loup.    Foght. 

History  of  Nebraska.    Andreas. 

Johnson's  History  of  Nebraska.     Harrison  Johnson. 
J>     National  Atlas  of  Nebraska.     Gray. 
>   Nebraska  and  the  Northwest.    Wilber. 

Mss.  and  clippings.  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical 
Society. 

Biographical  and  Historical  Memoirs  of  Adams,  Clay, 
Webster  and  Nuckolls  Counties.  Goodspeed  Publishing 
Company. 

MAILS,  EARLY. 

The  City  of  the  Saints,  p.  5.     Burton. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  pp.  93,  112,  foot  note. 

Seventy  Years  on  the  Frontier.    Alexander  Majors. 

NEBRASKA  CITY  TO  NIOBRARA. 

Communication  of  Hadley  D.  Johnson.  Transactions  Ne- 
braska State  Historical  Society,  2d  series,  v.  5,  p.  56. 

OMAHA  TO  COLUMBUS. 

Cuming  City  Star,  June  19,  1858. 


l6  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

OMAHA  TO  DAKOTA  CITY. 

Ibid. 
COLUMBUS  TO  FT.  KEARNY. 

Omaha  Times,  June  24,  1858. 
NEBRASKA  CITY  TO  FT.  KEARNY. 

Nebraska  City  News,  May  24,  1862. 

Overland  Stage  to  California.    Root  and  Connelley. 

History  of  Wyoming.    Coutant.    v.  i,  pp.  359-390. 

The  Great  Salt  Lake  Trail.     Inman  and  Cody. 
PONY  EXPRESS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  96. 

Overland  Stage  to  California.     Root  and  Connelley. 

History  of  Wyoming.    Coutant.    v.  i,  pp.  369-370. 

The  Great  Salt  Lake  Trail.    Root  and  Connelley. 

Seventy  Years  on  the  Frontier.    Alexander  Majors. 
FERRIES. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  93,  foot  note;  108- 

109;  112,  foot  notes;  239-242  and  foot  notes;  274. 

Laws  of  Nebraska  First  Territorial  Session,  p.  425. 

Journey  Through  Kansas,  p.  192.    Boynton  and  Mason. 
STEAM. 

Council  Bluffs  and  Omaha. 

The  Omaha  Arrow,  July  28,  1854. 

Omaha's  Early  Days.    Alfred  D.  Jones.    Transactions  Ne- 
braska State  Historical  Society,  v.  4,  p.  152. 
Trader's  Point. 

History  of  Mills  County,  Iowa.     Des  Moines  State  His- 
torical Company,  p.  515. 

Annals  of  Iowa,  October,  1908,  p.  518. 

RAILROADS. 

Report  Nebraska  Railroad  Commission,  1885,  1886. 

% 

Report  Nebraska  Board  of  Transportation,  v.  1-13. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska  as  index  indicates. 
Report  of  Nebraska  Board  of  Transportation,  1888,  p.  125. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  17 

History  of  Railroad  Control  in  Nebraska.  Albert  Watkins. 
Nebraska  State  Journal,  May  24,  1908, — pamphlet  in  Li- 
brary Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 

TERRITORIAL  ORGANIZATION'. 

NUMBER  OF  WHITE  INHABITANTS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  165. 

ORGANIZATION  PROCLAMATIONS. 

Laws  of  Nebraska  First  Territorial  Session,  pp.  41-53. 
Early  Times  and  Pioneers.     J.  Sterling  Morton.     Trans- 
actions Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  3,  p.  101. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  172,  et  seq. 
Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  2,  2d 
series,  pp.  135-161. 

PERSONNEL  OF  FIRST  LEGISLATURE. 

Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  2,  2d 

series,  pp.  88-134. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.   i,  chap.  7, — includes 

portraits. 
LOCATING  THE  CAPITAL. 

Ibid.,  chaps.  6-7. 

Johnson's   History  of  Nebraska,  pp.   285-286.     Harrison 

Johnson. 
FIRST  TERRITORIAL  ELECTIONS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  187. 
PROCEEDINGS  OF  FIRST  LEGISLATURE. 

Ibid.,  p.  194. 
JUDICIAL  ORGANIZATION. 

Ibid.,  p.  251. 
CLAIM  CLUBS,  THE  FIRST  OR  PROVISIONAL  JUDICIAL  AUTHORITY. 

Ibid.,  p.  231. 
FIRST  LAND  SURVEYS. 

Ibid.,  pp.  229,  379-389,  foot  notes. 

IMPORTANT  EVENTS  WHICH  DISTINGUISHED  THE  FOURTH  AND 
FIFTH  LEGISLATURES. 

Ibid.,  chaps.  9-10. 


l8  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

GOVERNOR  FRANCIS  BURT. 

The  Life  of  Governor  Burt.    Transactions  Nebraska  State 

Historical  Society,  v.  I,  2d  series,  p.  25. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  160. 
FIRST  PUBLIC  LAND  SALES. 

Ibid.,  p.  377. 
ATTEMPT  TO  ANNEX  THE  SOUTH  PLATTE  SECTION  TO  KANSAS. 

Ibid.,  p.  396,  and  references. 

Nebraska  City  News,  December  25,  1858. 

Nebraska  Advertiser,  March  18,  December  2,  December  9, 

December  23,  December  30,  1858;  January  6,  January  13, 

February  10,  1859. 

An  Overland  Journey  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco, 

p.  57.    Horace  Greeley. 

Kansas-Nebraska    Boundary    Line.     George    W.    Martin. 

Ms.  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 
ORGANIZATION  OF  PARTIES. 

History  of  Nebraska,  v.  I,  chap.  12. 

TERRITORIAL  BANKING. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  I,  and  refer- 
ences. 

Nebraska  Advertiser,  July  23,  September  24,  October  i, 
October  29,  5857;  April  i,  April  8,  December  9,  1858. 
Omaha  Times,  January  27,  1858. 

Peoples  Press,  November  17,  December  22,  1859;  February 
3,  1860. 

Banking  in  Nebraska.  Henry  W.  Yates.  Illustrated  His- 
tory of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  8. 

Wild  Cat  Banks.  A.  G.  Warner.  Transactions  Nebraska 
State  Historical  Society,  v.  2,  p.  22. 

Early  Nebraska  Currency  and  Per  Capita  Circulation. 
Henry  W.  Yates.  Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical 
Society,  v.  i,  2d  series,  p.  67. 

Some  Financial  Fallacies  among  the  Pioneers  of  Nebraska. 
J.  Sterling  Morton.  Ibid.,  v.  i,  2d  series,  p.  201. 


OUTLINE  OF   NEBRASKA   HISTORY  19 

SLAVERY  IN  NEBRASKA. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  2. 
Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.   I,  2d 
series,  p.  109. 

Underground  Railroad  in  Nebraska.  Alice  A.  Minick. 
Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  2,  2d 
series,  p.  70. 

THE  UNION  PACIFIC  RAILROAD. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  3. 
Western  Incidents  Connected  With  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road.    Seymour. 

MORMONS  IN  NEBRASKA. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  4. 
>  Mormon  Settlements  in  the  Missouri  Valley.     Aitchison. 

Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  10,  2d 
series,  p.  7. 

MILITARY  HISTORY. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  5. 
Col.  Leavenworth's  Ankara  Expedition.     Ibid.,  p.  141. 
Explorations  in  Nebraska.    Lieut.  G.  K.  Warren.    Execu- 
tive Documents,  1858-59,  v.  2,  Doc.  2,  p.  669. 

^  Indian  War  History.     Van  Osdel.     The   Historian,   July 

8 — August  5,  1910. 

ist  session  i8th  Congress,  v.  i,  Doc.  2,  p.  90.  In  the  Li- 
brary of  Chicago  University. 

Indian  Wars  on  the  Nebraska  Plains,  1864-1880.  Albert 
Watkins.  Ms.  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical 
Society. 

Pawnee  expedition,  1859.    Jonn  M.  Thayer.    Transactions 
Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  5,  2d  series,  p.  232. 
The  Indian  Campaign  of  1864.     Eugene  F.  Ware.     Ms. 
Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 
Adventures  of  Major  Frank  North.    Ms.  Library  Nebraska 
State  Historical  Society. 


2O  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

History  of  Nebraska.     Andreas,  p.  227. 

The  Utah  Mormon  Expedition,  1857.    Capt.  John  I.  Ginn. 

INDUSTRIAL  DEVELOPMENT. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  7. 

Address  of  J.  Sterling  Morton,  ibid.,  v.  I,  p.  390,  foot  note. 

First  Territorial  Fair,  ibid.,  v.  I,  p.  387. 

Salt  Works,  ibid.,  v.  2,  p.  275. 

Salt  Works,  Transactions  State  Historical  Society,  v.  3,  p. 

87. 

History  of  the  Lincoln  Salt  Basin.    Ames.     Ibid.,  v.  15,  p. 

83- 
TERRITORIAL  PRESS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  9. 
FREE  MASONRY. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  10. 

INDEPENDENT  ORDER  OF  ODD  FELLOWS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chap.  n. 

RELIGIOUS  DENOMINATIONS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  2,  chaps.  12-21. 
^Life  and  Labors  of  Reuben  Gaylord.    Gaylord. 
History  of  Nebraska  Methodism.    David  Marquette. 
Ms.  by  Samuel  Allis.     Library  of  Nebraska  State  Histo- 
rical Society. 

Ms.  by  John  Dunbar.     Library  of  Nebraska  State  Histo- 
rical Society. 

Sketch  and  Diary  of  Moses  Merrill.     Transactions  Ne- 
braska State  Historical  Society,  v.  4,  pp.  157-191. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  i,  p.  72,  foot  note  3. 
Ibid.,  v.  2,  p.  244,  foot  note  4. 
Ibid.,  v.  2,  p.  249,  foot  note  5. 
Ibid.,  v.  i,  p.  222,  foot  note  2  and  cut. 
Ibid.,  v.  2,  p.  253,  foot  note  7. 

Life,  Letters  and  Travels  of  Father  Pierre- Jean  De  Smet. 
S.  J.     1801-1873.    De  Smet,  according  to  index. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA   HISTORY  21 

Solitary  Places  Made  Glad.    Henry  T.  Davis. 

Four  Years  of  Cooperation.     A.  D.  Williams. 

Congregational  Nebraska.     Motier  A.  Bullock. 

The  First  Catholic  Priest  in  Nebraska.    Michael  A.  Shine. 

Ms.  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 

ADMISSION  TO  STATEHOOD. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  I,  chaps.  14-15. 
Admission  of  Nebraska  into  the  Union.    Charles  H.  Gere. 
Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  i,  p.  162. 

CAPITAL  REMOVAL. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  forthcoming  v.  3,  chap.  I. 

THE  FOUNDING  OF  LINCOLN. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 
IMPEACHMENT  OF  GOVERNOR  DAVID  BUTLER. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 

BRIBERY  CASE  AGAINST  GOVERNOR  ROBERT  W. 
FURNAS. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 
Clippings  in  scrapbook  made  by  Robert  W.  Furnas.     Li- 
brary of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 

GRASSHOPPER  INVASION. 

Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  1864.     Executive 
Documents,  1864-65,  v.  5,  pp.  492,  526. 
Ibid.,  Executive  Documents,  1868-69,  P-  689- 
Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  10,  2d 
series,  p.  172. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 
Indian  Wars  on  the  Nebraska  Plains,  1864-1880.     Albert 
Watkins.     Ms.  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  So- 
ciety, pp.  65,  77,  85,  90,  139,  144. 

Reminiscences.     Edgar    Reynolds.     Ms.    Library    of    Ne- 
braska State  Historical  Society. 
Laws  of  Nebraska,  1875,  p.  173. 
Ibid.,  1877,  PP-  63,  154,  253. 


22  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

Nebraska  Senate  Journal,  1875,  pp.  54,  88,  91,  93. 
Ibid.,  1877,  p.  104. 

Clippings.     Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 
CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTIONS,  1871,  1875. 

Official  Report  Debates  and  Proceedings  in  the  Nebraska 
Constitutional  Convention,  1871.  Addison  E.  Sheldon. 
Nebraska  State  Historical  Society  Publications,  v.  n,  12. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 
The  Nebraska  Constitution.  Charles  S.  Lobingier.  Trans- 
actions Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  5,  2d  series, 
p.  96. 

LIQUOR  TRAFFIC  IN  NEBRASKA. 

Regulation   of   the    Liquor   Traffic   in   Nebraska.      Albert 

Watkins.      Ms.    Library    of    Nebraska    State    Historical 

Society. 

First  Prohibition  Law  in  America.     Melvin  R.   Gilmore. 

Journal  of  American  History,  v.  4,  no.  3,  p.  397. 

TEMPERANCE  SOCIETIES. 

History  of  Nebraska,  p.  210.     Andreas. 

History  of  the  Nebraska  W.  C.  T.  U.     Ada  M.  Bitten- 

bender. 

STATE  UNIVERSITY. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 

History  of  the  University  of  Nebraska.     Albert  Watkins. 

Report  Superintendent  Public  Instruction,  Nebraska,  1910, 

p.  630. 

A  Brief  History  of  the  University  of  Nebraska.     H.  W. 

Caldwell.    Transactions  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society, 

v.  3,  p.  201. 

INVESTIGATIONS   OF    STATE   ADMINISTRATION   AND' 
IMPEACHMENT  OF  STATE  OFFICERS. 

Senate  and  House  Journals,  1893. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 
THE  FARMERS'  ALLIANCE  MOVEMENT. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  23 

The  Farmers'  Alliance  in  Nebraska.  Thompson.  Trans- 
actions Nebraska  State  Historical  Society,  v.  5,  2cl  series, 
p.  199. 

THE  GOLD-SILVER  SCHISM. 

Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 

INDUSTRIAL  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  STATE. 
Illustrated  History  of  Nebraska,  v.  3. 

Biennial  Reports  Bureau  of  Labor  and  Statistics,  v.  i-io. 
Bulletins  Bureau  of  Labor  and  Statistics,  1902  to  date. 
Address  of  Governor  Ashton  C.  Shallenberger  at  the  As- 
torian  Centennial  Celebration,  Bellevue,  June  23,  1910. 
Historical  Sketch.    A.  E.  Sheldon.     Semi-Centennial  His- 
tory of  Nebraska,  p.  114. 
Clippings,  Library  of  Nebraska  State  Historical  Society. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 


The 

Nebraska 

Country. 


The 

Louisiana 

Purchase. 


SUMMARY  OF  NEBRASKA  HISTORY 

Nebraska,  the  Indian  name  of  the  most  important  trib- 
utary of  the  Missouri  river,  is  a  Siouan,  or  at  least  an 
Omaha  word,  meaning  wide  with  a  shallow  brim.  Ac- 
cording to  the  ^Jaxgr^L^apers,  the  present  name  of  the 
river  was  first  applied  to  it  by  ^ 


Father  De  Smet  says  it  was  first  applied  by  Canadians. 
It  is  a  French  translation  —  though  not  accurate  or  ade- 
quate —  of  Nebraska.  The  region  between  the  Missouri 
river  and  the  Rocky  mountains,  east  and  west,  and  the 
43d  and  37th  parallels  of  latitude,  north  and  south,  came 
to  be  known  as  "the  Nebraska  Country"  in  the  early  part 
of  the  decade  of  1840-1850. 

The  Nebraska  Country  is  part  of  the  Louisiana  pur- 
chase which  the  United  States  acquired  from  France, 
April  30,  1803.  At.  the  time  of  the  purchase  Louisiana 
was  understood  to  comprise  the  territory  indefinitely 
bounded  by  the  Mississippi  river  and  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains, east  and  west,  and  the  British  possessions  and  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  north  and  south.  Ferdinand  La  Salle, 
passing  down  the  Mississippi  river  in  1682,  claimed  the 
country  for  France  and  called  it  Louisiana  in  honor  of 
Louis  XIV,  the  reigning  monarch.  France  ceded  Louis- 
iana to  Spain  in  1763,  and  Spain  retroceded  it  in  1800. 
The  boundaries  were  definitely  fixed  by  the  treaty  of  1819, 
between  the  United  States  and  Spain;  the  treaty  of  1783 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  ;  and  a  con- 
ference of  experts  in  1899-1900.  The  Louisiana  pur- 
chase comprises  890,921  square  miles,  including  land  and 
water  ;  878,641  square  miles  —  562,330,240  acres  —  of  land. 
The  United  States  paid  to  France  for  Louisiana  a  pur- 
chase price  of  $15,000,000,  or  about  2  3/5  cents  an  acre. 
This  purchase  has  been  organized  into  thirteen  states, 
namely  :  Louisiana,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Iowa,  Minnesota, 
Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Montana,  South  Dakota, 
North  Dakota,  Wyoming,  Oklahoma.  About  two-thirds 
of  Colorado,  one-third  of  Minnesota,  one-fourth  of  Wy- 
oming, the  extreme  southwest  corner  of  Kansas,  the  nar- 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  25 

row  strip  of  Montana  lying  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains, 
and  the  narrow  northwestern  wing  of  Oklahoma,  for- 
merly known  as  the  public  land  strip,  are  outside  the 
limits  of  the  purchase.  The  original  territory  of  Ne- 
braska comprised  a  small  area  just  east  of  the  mountains 
which  was  conceded  to  Spain  in  the  boundary  treaty  of 
1819.  It  is  now  included  in  Colorado  and  Wyoming. 

The  surface  of  Nebraska  is  a  plain  which  slopes  grad-  Physical 
nally  from  west  to  east  and  also  from  north  to  south.  Geography. 
There  is  a  low  chain  of  mountains  called  Pine  Ridge, 
about  loo  miles  in  length,  north  of  the  North  Platte  river. 
It  is  the  northern  border  of  the  Box  Butte  plain  which 
extends  to  the  North  Platte  river,  running  across  Sioux, 
Box  Butte,  the  southern  part  of  Dawes  and  into  the 
northern  part  of  Sheridan  county,  with  an  elevation  rang- 
ing from  about  5,000  feet  in  the  west  to  about  4,000  feet 
in  the  east ;  area,  about  500  square  miles.  It  slopes  from 
north  to  south.  Wild  Cat  Range  extends  about  50  miles 
along  the  south  side  of  the  North  Platte.  It  has  many 
picturesque  peaks,  the  two  highest  .being  Hogback  moun- 
tain, 5,082  feet,  and  Wild  Cat  mountain,  5,038  feet.  The 
Cheyenne  plain  lies  south  of  the  Wild  Cat  range  between 
the  forks  of  the  Platte.  It  is  about  100  miles  long  and 
40  miles  wide.  It  attains  an  elevation  of  5,300  feet -on 
the  western  border  of  the  state, — in  the  northwest  part  of 
Kimball  county.  This  is  the  highest  land  in  Nebraska. 
The  north  and  south  and  east  and  west  slopes  are  illus- 
trated as  follows:  The  elevation  of  Benkleman,  in  the 
extreme  southwest,  is  2,968  feet;  of  Rulo,  in  the  south- 
east, 842  feet ;  of  Harrison,  in  the  northwest,  4,849  feet ; 
of  Dakota  City,  in  the  northeast,  1,102  feet.  The  eleva- 
tion of  Kimball,  100  miles  south  of  Harrison,  is  4,697 
feet.  The  elevation  of  Plattsmouth  is  960  feet ;  of  Kear- 
ney, 2,152;  difference,  1,192  feet.  At  a  point  the  same 
distance  west  of  Kearney  the  increase  is  less  than  100 
feet  greater  than  that  between  Plattsmouth  and  Kear- 
ney,— the  total  distance  covered  by  the  comparison  being 
336  miles.  Owing  to  the  uniformity  of  the  southward 
slope  no  tributaries  of  importance  come  to  the  Platte  from 
the  south.  In  relation  to  its  south  border  the  bed  of  the 


26 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 


Meteor- 
ology. 


Political 
Organiza- 
tion. 


Platte  is  a  bench  rather  than  a  valley.  The  sand  hill  re- 
gion occupies  about  15,000  square  miles  between  the  981)1 
and  iO2d  meridians  on  the  north  border  and  extends 
southwesterly  and  southeasterly  between  two  irregular 
lines  running  from  the  two  northern  corners  to  the  south 
border  of  the  state;  but  its  features  are  less  marked  in 
the  south  than  in  the  north.  The  sand  hills  proper  are 
in  the  northerly  part  of  the  region.  There  is  an  artesian 
•flow  of  water  in  35  counties. 

The  average  temperature  of  the  southwest  is  2  degrees 
below  that  of  the  southeast.  It  decreases  toward  the 
north  about  I  degree  for  each  40  miles  in  the  eastern  and 
southerly  parts,  but  less  in  the  northwest.  The  annual 
precipitation  is  about  30  inches  in  the  southeast ;  at  the 
middle  of-the  western  border,  1 5  inches ;  in  the  northwest 
corner,  18  inches.  The  decrease  northward  is  about  i 
inch  to  each  40  miles  on  the  east  side — to  27  inches  in  the 
northeast ;  westward  along  the  north  border  i  inch  in  50 
miles, — to  18  inches  in  the  northwest.  The  moisture 
comes  mainly  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  70  per  cent  of 
the  precipitation  falls  in  the  five  growing  months, — April 
to  August. 

Nebraska  was  organized  as  a  territory  by  an  act  of 
Congress  approved  May  30,  1854,  known  as  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  bill.  It  comprised  all  of  the  Louisiana  pur- 
chase west  of  the  state  of  Missouri  and  the  Missouri  river 
to  the  mouth  of  White  river,  which  formed  its  extreme 
northeastern  boundary,  and  north  of  the  4Oth  parallel  of 
latitude.  The  Canadian  line  was  its  north  boundary  and 
the  Rocky  mountains  its  west  boundary.  The  territory 
of  Kansas,  organized  by  the  same  act,  comprised  the  coun- 
try between  Nebraska  and  the  37th  parallel,  north  and 
south,  the  state  of  Missouri  on  the  east  and  New  Mexico 
and  Utah  on  the  west.  Both  territories  comprised  about 
485,000  square  miles.  Nearly  all  of  Montana,  about 
three-fourths  of  Wyoming,  about  one-third  of  Colorado, 
and  that  part  of  North  Dakota  and  South  Dakota  lying 
west  of  the  Missouri  river  were  taken  from  the  territory 
of  Nebraska. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  27 

The  Missouri  Compromise,  so  called  because  it  was 
enacted  by  the  Congress  in  1820  as  a  condition  on  which 
Missouri  should  be  admitted  as  a  slave  state,  and  pro- 
vided that  there  should  be  no*  slavery  in  the  remainder  of 
the  Louisiana  purchase  north  of  the  parallel  of  36°  30',  — 
the  extension  of  the  southern  boundary  line  of  Missouri,  — 
was  repealed  by  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill.  The  repeal 
greatly  excited  anti-slavery  sentiment  in  the  north  and 
precipitated  secession  and  the  resulting  war. 

At  the  time  when  white  people  began  to  occupy  the  Indians  in 
territory  now  comprised  in  Net  raska,  —  along  the  Mis-  Nebraska. 
souri  river  and  for  the  purpose  of  trapping  and  trading 
with  the  Indians  —  the  Ponca  tribe  occupied  the  territory 
about  the  mouth  of  the  Niobrara  river;  the  Omaha  the 
northeast  section;  the  Oto  and  Missouri,  amalgamated 
tribes,  the  southeast;  and  the  Pawnee  a  great  central  sec- 
tion from  the  country  of  the  Omaha  and  Oto  as  far  west 
as  the  forks  of  the  Platte  river.  The  country  of  the  Sioux 
or  Dakota  comprised  that  section  west  of  the  Pawnee  and 
north  of  the  North  Platte  river.  The 


enne  of  the  Arkansas  jointly  held  the  remainder  or  south- 
western section.  The  Arapaho  and  Northern  Cheyenne 
had  an  interest  with  the  Sioux  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
tatter's  holding.  All  of  the  tribes  have  been  limited  to 
comparatively  small  reservations.  The  Omaha  reserva- 
tion is  in  Thurston  county,  Nebraska;  the  Sioux  reser- 
vations are  in  the  Dakotas,  Montana  and  Nebraska  ;  the 
Northern  Cheyenne  in  Montana;  that  of  the  Southern 
Cheyenne  and  affiliated  Arapaho  in  Oklahoma  ;  a  part  of 
the  Arapaho  are  in  Wyoming.  The  lands  of  the  Kansas 
tribe  lapped  over  into  southeastern  Nebraska,  but  that 
part  of  them  was  ceded  to  the  United  States  as  early  as 
1825.  The  Omaha,  Oto  and  Missouri,  Pawnee,  and  Ponca 
may  be  designated  as  our  domestic  tribes.  They  had  a 
definite  habitat  in  Nebraska.  The  other  tribes  did  not, 
being  of  a  more  roving  habit.  In  October,  1881,  about 
75  of  the  Oto  and  Missouri  tribe,  with  their  live  stock 
and  other  property,  were  removed  from  Nebraska  to  a 
new  reservation  in  Indian  Territory.  Two  hundred  of 
them  had  anticipated  a  removal  and  had  voluntarily  gone 


28  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

to  the  new  reservation.  In  1873  and  1874  most  of  the 
Pawnee  voluntarily  withdrew  from  their  reservation  and 
went  to  the  Indian  Territory.  In  1876  the  small  remain- 
der were  removed  and  all  of  them — 2,026  in  number — 
were  settled  on  a  new  reservation  in  Indian  Territory. 
In  March  and  May,  1877,  the  Ponca,  about  700  in  num- 
ber, were  removed  to  a  new  home  in  Indian  Territory. 
A  part  of  them  soon  returned  to  Nebraska  and  were  al- 
lowed to  remain  with  the  Santee. 

According-  to  revised  estimates  of  Lewis  and  Clark, 
Numbers.  3  _  „  **.  •          •   «». 

in  1804  the  Omaha  numbered  600;  the  Oto  and  Mis- 
souri 800;  the  Pawnee  4,000;  the  Ponca  200.  Lewis 
and  Clark  found -the  Omaha  village  in  the  same  locality 
as  their  reservation  is  now.  About  two  years  be- 
fore they  had  been  reduced  by  smallpox  from  3,500 
to  300.  The  population  of  these  tribes  in  various 
years,  as  reported  by  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Af- 
fairs, is  as  follows:  Omaha,  1836,  1,400;  1903,  1,216; 
1910,  1,276;  Oto  and  Missouri,  1836,  1,600;  1903, 
367;  1906,  390;  Pawnee,  1836,  10,000;  1903,  646;  1906, 
649;  Ponca,  1836,  800;  1903,  236  in  Nebraska  and  556  in 
Oklahoma;  1906,  263  in  Nebraska,  570  in  Oklahoma; 
1910,  290  in  Nebraska.  The  Sauk  and  Fox,  the  Iowa, 
the  Santee  Sioux,  and  the  Winnebago  were  all  imported 
into  Nebraska  in  comparatively  recent  times.  The  Sauk 
and  Fox  and  the  Iowa  came  in  the  latter  part  of  the  dec- 
ade of  1830-40,  but  did  not  get  well  settled  until  about 
1854-55.  In  1842  the  Iowa  numbered  479,  the  Sauk  and 
Fox  414;  in  1865  the  two  tribes  numbered  respectively 
294  and  95;  in  1906,  246  and  90;  in  1910,  273  and  87. 
Their  reservation  comprised  a  narrow  strip  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  state  and  lapping  over  into  Kansas. 
All  of  it  has  been  allotted  to  individuals. 

On  account  of  their  participation  in  the  Sioux  massacre 
in  Minnesota,  the  Santee  Sioux  were  removed  from  that 
state  to  Crow  Creek,  Dakota,  in  1863.  In  April,  1866, 
they  moved  again  to  a  small  reservation  in  Nebraska  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Niobrara  river,  now  within  Knox 
county.  When  they  came  to  Nebraska  they  numbered 
1,350;  in  1903.  1,056;  in  1906,  1,111;  in  1910,  1,155. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  2Q 

The  part  of  the  Winnebago  living  in  Minnesota  were 
removed  to  Crow  Creek  at  the  same  time  that  the  Santee 
were  moved  there  and  for  the  same  ostensible  reason. 
They  refused  to  stay  there  and  squatted  on  the  reserve 
of  their  friendly  kinsmen,  the  Omaha,  and  in  1865  a  stl"ip 
of  the  north  side  of  the  reserve  was  bought  for  their  per- 
manent home.  They  then  numbered  1,900;  in  1903,  1,102 ; 
in  1906,  1,070;  in  1910,  1,063. 

The  entire  Sioux  nation  in  1842  was  estimated  at  25,- 
ooo ;  their  number  was  nearly  the  same  in  1906 ;  with  the 
Blackfeet  and  several  smaller  tribes,  sometimes  counted 
as  Sioux  and  sometimes  not,  about  28,000. 

In  1865  there  were  3,300  Arapaho, — 1,800  at  the  Upper 
Platte  agency  and  1,500  at  the  Upper  Arkansas  agency; 
in  1906  there  were  1,758  in  all, — 885  in  Oklahoma  and 
873  in  Wyoming. 

In  1865  there  were  2,320  Cheyenne, — 720  at  the  Upper 
Platte  agency  and  1,600  at  the  Upper  Arkansas  agency. 
In  1906  there  were  3,334, — 1,894  in  Oklahoma  and  1,440 
— Northern  Cheyenne — in  Montana. 

The  earlier  enumerations  are  not  as  reliable  as  the  later 
because  they  were  often  mere  estimates;  whereas,  since 
the  Indians  have  been  confined  to  comparatively  small 
reservations,  it  has  been  practicable  to  count  them  with 
accuracy.  The  early  estimates  were  often,  if  not  usually 
too  high.  Under  the  improved  conditions  of  the  reserva- 
tion system  a  slight  increase  has  succeeded  the  former 
rapid  decrease  of  our  Indian  population. 

The  Iowa,  Omaha,  Oto  and  Missouri,  and  the  Ponca 
are  offshoots  of  the  Siouan  family;  the  Pawnee  belong 
to  the  Caddoan  family ;  the  Arapaho,  Cheyenne,  and  Sauk 
and  Fox  are  Algonkian. 

Rev.  Moses  Merrill  settled  at  Bellevue  in  1833  as  mis- 
sionary to  the  Oto  and  Missouri.  So  far  as  is  known 
this  was  the  first  definite  Indian  mission  in  Nebraska. 
Rev.  John  Dunbar  and  Samuel  Allis  came  to  Bellevue  in 
1834  as  missionaries  to  the  Pawnee. 

In  1905  the  Indian  school  at  the  Omaha  reservation 
was  discontinued,  and  the  children  of  the  tribe  attend  the 
public  schools.  Schools  are  still  maintained  by  the  Indian 


3O  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

bureau  at  the  Winnebago  and  Santee  agencies.  A  general 
Indian  school  is  maintained  at  Genoa.  The  increasing 
encroachment  of  white  people  into  the  Indian  country 
and  especially  the  construction  of  the  Pacific  railroads 
precipitated  wars  with  the  Indians  of  the  plains  which 
lasted  with  little  intermission  from  1864  to  1880. 
Explora-  Following  the  acquisition  of  Louisiana,  there  were 

tions,  Early  many  expeditions  into  the  country  under  the  auspices  of 
Trans  or  ^le  ^eral  government  for  the  purpose  of  exploration 
tation.  an(l  treating  with  the  Indians.  Others  were  sent  out  by 

private  enterprise  to  trap  fur  animals  and  trade  with  In- 
dians. The  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition  organized  by 
President  Thomas  Jefferson  followed  the  Missouri  river 
from  St.  Louis  to  its  headwaters,  where  it  crossed  the 
Rocky  mountains  and  descended  the  Columbia  river  to 
its  mouth. 

Astorian  The  Astorian  expedition  organized  by  John  Jacob  As- 

Expedition.  ^or's  American  Fur  Company  in  1810  traveled  up  the 
Missouri  river  in  the  spring  of  1811  to  the  Arikari  vil- 
lages, situated  just  above  the  mouth  of  Grand  river,  now 
near  the  northern  border  of  South  Dakota,  then  went 
overland  westward,  crossing  the  mountains  not  far  south 
of  the  south  boundary  of  the  present  Yellowstone  Na- 
tional Park,  striking  the  subsequent  line  of  the  Oregon 
trail  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  place  where  Ft.  Hall  was 
afterward  established, — now  in  southern  Idaho.  In 
1812-13  a  part  of  the  members  of  the  outgoing  Astorian 
expedition  returned,  following  the  line  of  the  Oregon 
trail  as  it  was  afterward  established,  except  that  they 
followed  the  Platte  river  to  its  mouth  and  then  descended 
the  Missouri  river  to  St.  Louis.  In  1830  Jedediah  S. 
Smith,  David  E.  Jackson  and  William  L.  Sublette,  famous 
explorers  and  trappers,  and  partners  of  Gen.  William  H. 
Ashley  in  the  organization  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
Company  in  1822,  took  ten  loaded  wagons  and  two  dcnr- 
borns  from  St.  Louis  to  the  South  Pass  of  the  Rocky 
mountains.  As  far  as  is  now  known,  they  were  the  first 
vehicles  on  wheels  taken  along  this  route,  except  that  in 
1826  or  1827  Gen.  Ashley  had  drawn  a  mounted  cannon 
over  it  to  his  rendezvous  in  the  mountains. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  3! 

In  1832  Capt.  Bonneville,  the  hero  of  Washington  liv- 
ing's famous  story,  took  twenty  wagons  over  the  trail. 
He  started  from  Fort  Osage  and  struck  the  Platte  valley 
25  miles  below  the  head  of  Grand  Island  and  so  undoubt- 
edly followed  the  Little  Blue  river,  which  about  ten  years 
afterward  became  the-  established  shortened  or  cut-oil 
line.  In  the  same  year  the  expedition  of  Nathaniel  J. 
Wyeth  and  William  Sublette  followed  the  Big  Blue  to  its  Oregon 
headwaters  and  thence  across  to  the  Platte.  Wyeth's 
party  were  the  first  to  traverse  continuously  the  entire 
length  of  the  trail,  with  the  exception  noted.  Occasional 
small  parties  of  Oregon  emigrants  passed  over  the  trail 
during  the  decade  of  1830-40;  but  Dr.  Elijah  White's 
party  of  120  began  the  important  Oregon  emigration  in 
1842.  It  abandoned  wagons  at  Ft.  Hall.  The  great  party 
of  1843,  numbering  about  1,000,  took  the  first  loaded 
wagons  through  to  the  Columbia  river.  The  emigrant 
movement  from  1842  until  the  rush  to  California  began 
in  1849  distinguished  this  route  and  christened  it  as  the 
Oregon  trail.  Independence  and  Westport,  now  suburbs 
of  Kansas  City,  were  the  eastern  terminals  of  the  Oregon 
trail,  and  it  entered  Nebraska  near  the  southeastern  cor- 
ner of  Jefferson  county. 

Mormons   started  the  first  important  travel   over  the  California 
Council  Bluffs  route  in   1847,  and  it  became  general  inR°ad- 
1849.    This  route  was  called  the  California  road. 

Until  the  Union  Pacific  railroad — begun  in  1865 — was  steam- 
constructed,  travel  in  Nebraska  was  confined  to  wagon  boats- 
roads  and  to  steamboats  on  the  Missouri  river.  The 
Western  Engineer,  which  in  1819  carried  Long's  scien- 
tific and  exploring  division  of  the  Yellowstone  Expedi- 
tion to  old  Council  Bluff,  was  the  first  steamboat  to  run 
up  the  Missouri  beyond  the  Nebraska  line.  In  1859  a 
steamboat  reached  a  point  just  below  Ft.  Benton,  the 
head  of  navigation.  In  1860,  two  boats,  the  Chippewa 
and  Key  West,  landed  at  Ft.  Benton, — the  first  to  reach 
that  point.  Steamboat  traffic  on  the  Missouri  river  was 
heaviest  during  the  decade  of  1858-68.  By  that  time 
railroads  headed  it  off  as  far  up  as  Omaha.  It  was  greatly 
reduced  when  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad  reached  the 


32  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

river  at  Bismarck  in  1873  and  nearly  abandoned  after 
railroads  were  built  to  Pierre  in  1880  and  Chamberlain 
in  1881. 

Wagon  Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  territory  the  federal 

Roads.  government  began  to  construct  -wagon  roads  through  it, 
primarily  for  mail  and  military  purposes,  but  also  to  facil- 
itate general  travel.  February  17,  1855,  Congress  made 
the  first  appropriation — $50,000 — for  such  a  road  to  run 
from  a  point  opposite  Council  Bluffs — the  future  Omaha 
—to  new  Fort  Kearny.  The  second  appropriation, — 
$30,000 — was  made  March  3,  1857,  for  a  road  from  the 
Platte  river  near  its  mouth  to  the  mouth  of  the  Niobrara. 
The  first  road  was  constructed  during  the  years  1856, 
1857,  and  1858;  the  second,  in  1857  and  1858.  The 
work  of  construction  consisted  mainly  in  bridging  water 
courses,  though  some  grading  was  done.  The  bridge 
across  the  Elkhorn  was  the  principal  structure  on  the 
Ft.  Kearny  road;  but  the  refusal  of  Congress,  against 
persistent  local  petitions,  to  appropriate  money  to  bridge 
the  difficult  and  treacherous  Loup  seriously  crippled  that 
route.  In  1860  an  important  short  line  from  Nebraska 
City  to  the  Platte  river  which  crossed  Salt  Creek  at  Cad- 
man's,  eight  miles  south  of  the  future  site  of  Lincoln, 
was  constructed  by  local  enterprise.  The  original  road 
crossed  the  Salt  at  Ashland. 

Early  The  first  local  mail  route  in  the  territory — between  Ne- 

Mails.  braska  City,  Bellevue,  Omaha  City  and  Ft.  Calhoun— 
was  established  by  act  of  Congress  August  3,  1854.  Mail 
was  first  received  at  Omaha — from  Council  Bluffs  in 
May,  1854 — by  Alfred  D.  Jones,  the  first  postmaster,  who 
was  appointed  May  5th  of  that  year.  In  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  a  four-horse  tri-weekly  coach  began  to  carry 
mail  from  Council  Bluffs  to  Omaha. 

A  postoffice  was  first  established  at  Table  Creek,  later 
Nebraska  City,  'December  20,  1853,  by  the  appointment 
of  John  Boulware  as  postmaster.  This  was  the  first  post- 
office  in  Nebraska.  March  14,  1855,  the  name  of  the 
office  was  changed  to  Nebraska  City,  and  Charles  H. 
Cowles  was  appointed  postmaster.  The  contract  for  the 
first  mail  through  the  territory  now  comprised  in  Ne- 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  33 

braska  was  let  to  Samuel  Woodson.  It  was  to  be  carried/ 
once  a  month  from  Independence,  Missouri,  to  Salt  Lake! 
City  from  July  i,  1850,  to  July  i,  1854.  In  1858  the  serv-\ 
ice  became  weekly.  In  April,  1860,  Russell,  Majors  and 
Waddell,  through  the  Central  Overland  California  and 
Pike's  Peak  Company,  established  the  famous  pony  ex- 
press. Relays  of  men  on  horseback  carried  telegrams 
and  important  letters  from  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  to  Cali- 
fornia. The  telegrams  were  forwarded  by  wire  from 
Placerville,  California,  to  San  Francisco,  and  the  letters 
were  taken  from  the  pony  line  at  Sacramento  and  for- 
warded by  boats  on  the  Sacramento  river  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. The  entire  trip  was  made  in  about  ten  days. 

The  first  ferry  line  across  the  Missouri  river  to  Ne-  Ferries, 
braska  was  probably  established  about  1842  by  Peter  A. 
Sarpy.    Bellevue  was  its  Nebraska  terminus.    William  D. 
Brown  established  a  ferry  across  the  river  from  Council 
Bluffs  as  early  as  1850  or  1851. 

The  Union  Pacific  line  was  the  first  railroad  in  Ne-  Railroads, 
braska.  Its  actual  construction  was  begun  at  Omaha  in 
1865  and  completed  to  the  western  border  of  the  state  in 
1867.  In  that  year,  also,  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
railroad  reached  the  Missouri  river  at  Council  Bluffs. 
This  was  the  first  railroad  built  to  the  Missouri  river  op- 
posite Nebraska.  Until  its  arrival,  material  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  Union  Pacific  road  was  transported  by 
steamboats  on  the  Ohio,  Mississippi,  and  Missouri  rivers. 
The  Burlington  &  Missouri  River  Railroad  was  the  sec- 
ond railroad  built  in  Nebraska.  It  was  begun  at  Platts- 
mouth  in  the  spring  of  1870;  the  track  was  completed  to 
Lincoln  in  the  latter  part  of  July.  Trains  began  to  run 
regularly  to  that  place  during  the  first  week  of  August. 
The  point  of  junction  with  the  Union  Pacific  at  Kearney 
was  reached  September  2,  1872.  This  company  received 
through  the  federal  government  a  grant  of  2,441,600  acres 
of  public  lands — 12,800  acres  per  mile — as  a  bonus.  No 
other  railroad  company  in  Nebraska,  except  the  Union 
Pacific,  received  a  federal  grant  of  land,  but  the  "internal 
improvement"  lands — 500,000  acres, — granted  by  the 
federal  government  to  the  state  at  the  time  of  its  admis- 


34  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

sion  to  the  Union,  were  given  to  various  local  companies 
to  encourage  the  construction  of  railroads.  At  the  close 
of  the  year  1909  there  were  6,104.97  miles  of  single  track 
road  in  the  state,  owned  and  operated  by  nine  companies 
as  follows:  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy,  2,865.48; 
Chicago  &  Northwestern,  1,102.51 ;  Union  Pacific, 
1,065.47;  Missouri  Pacific,  376.84;  Chicago,  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Omaha,  308.39;  Chicago,  Rock  Island  & 
Pacific,  250.25;  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island,  112.53; 
Omaha  Bridge  &  Terminal,  22.25  J  Missouri  Valley  & 
Blair  Railway  and  Bridge,  1.25.  The  total  mileage,  in- 
cluding second  track,  206.27  miles,  and  yard  tracks  and 
sidings,  was  7,712.58. 

Railroad  Attempts  to  pass  laws  for  the  regulation  of  railroad 

Legislation,  traffic  failed  until  1885  when  the  legislature  authorized 
the  Secretary  of  State,  the  State  Auditor,  and  the  Attor- 
ney General  to  act  as  a  railroad  commission.  This  ex- 
periment was  unsatisfactory  and  the  legislature  of  1887 
established  a  "board  of  transportation"  consisting  of  the 
three  officers  just  named  with  the  addition  of  the  state 
treasurer.  In  November,  1890,  the  state  supreme  court 
decided  that  this  act  was  unconstitutional  and  thus  put  an 
end  to  the  board.  The  legislature  of  1891  then  tried  di- 
rect control  by  passing  a  bill  reducing  freight  rates ;  but 
the  governor,  James  E.  Boyd,  defeated  it  by  his  veto.  In 
1893  a  similar  bill  was  passed,  but  in  November,  1894,  it 
was  virtually  annulled  by  the  United  States  Circuit  Court. 
In  1906  an  amendment*  to  the  constitution  was  adopted 
providing  for  an  elective  commission  of  three  members, 
who  organized  for  business  April  9,  1907.  This  last  at- 
tempt to  regulate  railroads  in  Nebraska  is  now  on  pro- 
bation. In  1907  the  legislature  passed  a  law  prohibiting 
the  issue  of  free  passes  by  railroad  companies,  and  an- 
other reducing  passenger  rates  on  all  roads  in  the  state  to 
two  cents  a  mile.  The  effect  of  the  first  of  these  meas- 
ures has  been  very  salutary,  and  the  second  has  not  yet 
been  annulled  by  the  courts. 

Political  Or-     The  territory  which   was   originally  included   in   Ne- 

ganization.    braska  formed  a  part  of  the  "Indian  Country"  which  in 

1834  had  been  set  apart  by  act  of  Congress  for  the  ex- 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  35 

elusive  use  of  Indians  and  from  which  white  people, 
other  than  Indian  agents  and  licensed  traders,  were  in- 
terdicted by  law.  When  the  Nebraska  bill  was  passed 
there  were  about  275  whites  within  the  territory, — 200 
at  Fort  Kearny  and  75  at  other  points,  more  of  them  at 
Bellevue  than  at  any  other  place.  According  to  the  first 
census,  the  white  population  was  2,732  in  November, 
1854;  but  the  count  was  freely  padded.  Another  census, 
taken  ten  months  later,  showed  a  population  of  4,494, — 
probably  nearly  a  correct  enumeration.  Thus  the  terri- 
tory began  its  political  business  with  a  population  less 
than  that  of  most  of  the  county  towns  of  the  present  day. 

At  this  time  the  southern  section  of  the  country  domi- 
nated the  democratic  party,  then  in  power,  and  so  surplus 
aspirants  for  office  in  the  south  were  sent  north  to  fill  ap- 
pointive territorial  offices,  just  as  the  republican  party, 
in  power  after  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  sent  carpetbag- 
gers from  the  north  to  fill  offices  in  the  reconstructed 
southern  states.  Thus  Francis  Burt,  a  South  Carolina 
politician,  became  the  first  governor  of  Nebraska ;  but  he 
died  from  the  effects  of  the  long  journey  from  his  home, 
October  18,  1854, — two  days  after  assuming  his  office. 
By  a  provision  of  the  organic  act,  the  secretary  of  the 
territory — Thomas  B.  Cuming  of  Iowa — became  acting 
governor,  and  political  organization  was  effected  under 
his  vigorous  administration. 

Governor  Burt  settled  at  Bellevue  as  his  provisional  First 
capital ;  but  Acting  Governor  Cuming  was  under  Cou 
Bluffs-Omaha  influence  and  so  called  the  first  legislative 
assembly  to  meet  at  Omaha,  instead  of  Bellevue,  January 
16,  1855.  This  first  session  was  held  in  a  brick  building 
situated  on  Ninth  street,  between  Farnam  and  Douglas, 
and  which  had  been  erected  for  the  purpose  by  the  Coun- 
cil Bluffs  and  Nebraska  Ferry  Company.  At  this  session 
the  assembly  confirmed  the  location  of  the  capital  at 
Omaha,  and  passed  the  laws  necessary  for  establishing  a 
government.  It  appropriated  the  civil  and  criminal  codes 
of  Iowa.  The  first  legislative  assembly  was  composed 
of  a  Council  of  thirteen  members  and  a  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives of  twenty-six  members.  The  second  assembly 


36  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

increased  the  members  of  the  House  to  thirty-five,  and 
the  fifth  increased  them  to  thirty-nine.  These  additions 
were  first  effective  in  the  third  and  sixth  assemblies  re- 
spectively, and  no  more  were  made  during  the  territorial 
period. 

The  The  session  of  the  fourth  assembly  was  disrupted  on 

Florence  account  of  an  attempt  to  remove  the  capital  from  Omaha. 
The  removalists,  who  were  in  the  majority,  after  a  vio- 
lent collision  with  the  anti-removalists,  retired  to  Flor- 
ence, where  the  session  was  continued,  but  its  enactments 
were  not  accepted  as  valid.  A  special  session  of  the  fifth 
assembly  was  called  to  meet  September  21,  1858,  to  do 
the  work  which  the  fourth  assembly  neglected,  and  espe- 
cially to  reenact  a  criminal  code  in  place  of  that  which 
was  repealed  by  the  third  assembly.  This  was  the  only 
special  session  of  a  territorial  assembly.  On  the  4th  of 
October  the  special  session  was  merged  into  the  regular 
session  without  change  of  organization.  At  the  continu- 
ous session  a  new  criminal  code  was  adapted  from  that 
of  New  York  and  a  civil  code  of  procedure  from  that  of 
Ohio. 

First  Liquor  A  liquor  license  law  was  passed  to  supersede  the  pro- 
License  hibitory  law  passed  by  the  first  assembly,  which  had  been 
Law.  disregarded.  The  twelfth  and  last  territorial  assembly 

was  in  session  from  January  10,  1867,  to  February  18, 
1867.  The  regular  sessions  were  annual.  There  were 
twelve  territorial  assemblies  and  thirteen  sessions  in  all. 
Territorial  There  were  four  territorial  governors.  Francis  Burt 
Governors,  was  governor  from  October  16  to  October  18,  1854; 
Mark  W.  Izard,  from  February  20,  1855,  to  October  25, 
1857;  William  A.  Richardson,  January  12,  1858,  to  De- 
cember 5,  1858;  Samuel  W.  Black,  May  2,  1859,  to  Ma.v 
n,  1861 ;  Alvin  Saunders,  May  n,  1861,  to  March  27, 
1867.  Under  the  organic  act  the  Secretary  of  the  Terri- 
tory acted  as  governor  during  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of 
governor.  Secretary  Thomas  B.  Cuming  was  therefore 
acting  governor  in  the  intervals  between  the  death  of 
Governor  Burt  and  the  beginning  of  Governor  Izard's 
term,  and  between  the  end  of  Izard's  term  and  the  be- 
ginning of  Governor  Richardson's  term.  J.  Sterling 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  37 

Morton  became  secretary  July  18,  1858,  and  was  there- 
fore acting  governor  from  the  time  Richardson  quit  the 
office  until  Black  assumed  it.  Algernon  S.  Paddock,  who 
succeeded  Morton  as  secretary,  May  18,  1861,  was  acting 
governor  during  the  last  session  of  the  territorial  assem- 
bly owing  to  the  absence  of  Governor  Saunders  from 
the  territory. 

Nearly  all  of  the  appointive  officers  of  the  territory  Carpet- 
were  non-residents.  Governor  Burt  was  a  resident  of  baggers. 
South  Carolina ;  Governor  Izard,  of  Arkansas ;  Governor 
Black,  of  Pennsylvania ;  and  Governor  Saunders,  of  Iowa. 
Fenner  Ferguson,  Edward  R.  Harden,  and  James  Brad- 
ley, the  first  three  judges  of  the  territorial  court,  were 
appointed,  respectively,  from  Michigan,  Georgia,  and  In- 
diana. Mark  W.  Izard  came  from  Arkansas  as  the  first 
marshal  of  the  territory.  Napoleon  B.  Giddings,  the  first 
delegate  to  Congress,  was  a  resident  of  Savannah,  Mis- 
souri, and  never  lived  in  Nebraska. 

All  of  the  governors  and  secretaries  of  the  territory  Political 
but  two  were  Democrats  and  were  appointed  by  Presi-  Parties, 
dent  Pierce  and  President  Buchanan.  Governor  Saun- 
ders and  Secretary  Paddock  were  appointed  by  President 
Lincoln.  There  were  five  territorial  delegates  to  Con- 
gress, namely:  Napoleon  B.  Giddings,  Bird  B.  Chapman, 
Fenner  Ferguson,  Samuel  G.  Daily,  Phineas  W.  Hitch- 
cock. Daily  and  Hitchcock  were  Republicans.  Political 
parties — Democratic  and  Republican — were  first  organ- 
ized in  1858-59.  The  Republican  party  had  a  small  ma- 
jority during  the  later  years  of  the  territorial  period. 

The  base  line  between  Nebraska  and  Kansas  was  sur-  pjrst 
veyed  in  1855,   1856,   1858,  and   1859,  beginning  at  the.  Surveys, 
east  end.    The  survey  of  interior  lines  was  begun  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  territory  in  the  fall  of  1855. 

The    fifth    assembly, — 1858 — passed    the    law    under  pirst 
which  the  first  territorial  board  of  agriculture  was  organ-  Territorial 
ized.     Robert  W.  Furnas  was  the  first  president  of  theFair- 
board,  and  the  first  territorial  fair  was  held  at  Nebraska 
City,  September  21  to  23,  1859. 

In  1858-59  there  was  a  strong  movement  in  the  South    .       Xation 
Platte  section  to  annex  that  part  of  the  territory  to  Kan- to  Kansas. 


38  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

sas,  which  would  have  succeeded  but  for  the  unwilling- 
ness of  Kansas  at  the  last  to  accept  the  proffered  addition. 
Slavery  in        A  bill  abolishing  slavery  in  the  territory  was  passed  by 
Nebraska,     fa^  seventh  general  assembly — 1861.     This  act  was  in 
accordance  with  the  popular  sovereignty  doctrine  of  the 
Kansas-Nebraska    bill.     Fifteen    negroes    were    held    as 
slaves  when  the  United  States  census  of  1860  was  taken. 
These  were  almost,  if  not  quite  all  body-servants  whom 
the  territorial  officers  from  the  South  brought  with  them. 
They  were  held  at  Ft.  Kearny  and  Nebraska  City. 
Early  The  Nebraska  Palladium  was  the  first  newspaper  pub- 

Newspapers.  Hshed  for  Nebraska  and,  also,  the  first  published  in  Ne- 
braska. Its  first  number  was  issued  July  15,  1854,  at 
St.  Mary,  a  hamlet  situated  just  below  Bellevue,  on  the 
Iowa  shore  of  the  Missouri  river.  The  first  issue  printed 
at  Bellevue  was  dated  November  15,  1854.  Its  last  issue 
was  dated  April  n,  1855.  Thomas  Morton  was  its  pub- 
lisher and  Daniel  E.  Reed  &  Company,  editors  and  pro- 
prietors. The  Omaha  Arrow  was  the  second  paper.  Its 
first  number  was  published  by  Joseph  E.  Johnson  and 
John  W.  Pattison,  July  28,  1854,  and  the  last  issue 
was  dated  December  29,  1854.  All  of  its  issues  were 
printed  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  The  Nebraska  News 
was  first  published  at  Sidney,  Iowa,  by  Dr.  Henry  Brad- 
ford. It  was  first  issued  at  Nebraska  City,  November  14, 
1854,  from  the  blockhouse  of  old  Ft.  Kearny.  It  was 
owned  by  the  Nebraska  City  Town  Site  Company,  and 
April  12,  1855,  J.  Sterling  Morton  was  employed  as  its 
editor — at  a  salary  of  $50  a  month — and  Thomas  Morton 
as  foreman.  The  latter  soon  bought  the  paper  and  con- 
tinued to  own  and  publish  it  until  his  death  in  1887,  with 
the  exception  of  a  period  from  July,  1869,  to  January, 
1871,  during  which  it  was  merged  into  the  Times  at  Ne- 
braska City.  The  Omaha  Nebraskian  was  the  first  news- 
paper printed  at  Omaha  and  its  first  number  was  issued 
January  17,  1855.  ^  was  established  by  Bird  B.  Chap- 
man, who  became  the  second  delegate  to  Congress  from 
Nebraska.  Its  last  issue  was  dated  June  15,  1865.  The 
Nebraska  Republican  was  first  issued  May  5,  1858.  Its 
name  was  changed  to  Omaha  Republican,  August  15, 
1859.  The  daily  issue  was  finally  suspended  July  29, 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  39 

1890.  The  Omaha  Daily  Herald  was  started  October  2, 
1865,  by  Dr.  George  L.  Miller  and  Daniel  W.  Carpenter. 
It  was  bought  by  Gilbert  M.  Hitchcock,  its  present  owner,  • 
in  March,  1889.  Mr.  Hitchcock  merged  the  Herald  with 
his  paper,  the  Evening  World,  with  the  name  of  World- 
Herald. 

Edward  Rosewater  established  the  Omaha  Daily  Bee 
June  19,  1871.  The  Nebraska  Commonwealth,  the  first 
newspaper  in  Lincoln,  was  started  as  a  weekly  by  Charles 
H.  Gere,  September  7,  1867.  Its  name  was  changed  to 
Nebraska  State  Journal,  May  22,  1869.  The  Journal  was 
first  published  as  a  daily,  July  20,  1870.  The  Nebraska 
Advertiser  was  started  at  Brownville  by  Robert  W.  Fur- 
nas  June  7,  1856.  The  Omaha  Republican  was  the  only 
Republican  paper  of  importance  in  the  territory  until  1860 
when  the  Advertiser  changed  to  the  Republican  side.  The 
Omaha  Nebraskian,  the  Nebraska  City  News,  and  the 
Advertiser  experimented  with  daily  issues  as  early  as 
1859,  but  the  Omaha  Republican  was  the  first  permanent 
daily.  Its  first  daily  issue  was  January  7,  1864. 

The  sixth  legislative  assembly  passed  an  act  authoriz-  Admission 
ing  an  election  to  be  held  March  5,  1860,  at  which  a  vote  as  a  State, 
should  be  taken  for  or  against  state  government  and  for 
the  choice  of  52  delegates  to  a  constitutional  convention 
to  be  held  on  the  second  Monday  in  April  of  the  same 
year  if  the  proposition  for  statehood  should  carry;  but 
as  it  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  2,372  against  2,094,  no 
convention  was  held.  In  response  to  a  request  of  the 
ninth  legislative  assembly  an  act  of  Congress  was  passed 
April  19,  1864,  which  authorized  the  governor  of  the  ter- 
ritory to  order  an  election  to  be  held  June  6,  1864,  to 
choose  members  of  a  constitutional  convention  which 
should  convene  on  the  fourth  of  the  following  July.  But 
at  the  same  election  the  majority  again  voted  against  as- 
suming statehood,  and,  thereupon,  the  convention  merely 
met  and  adjourned  without  framing  a  constitution.  The 
eleventh  legislative  assembly,  acting  under  the  same  au- 
thority, submitted  a  constitution  to  be  voted  upon  at  an 
election  held  June  2,  1866,  and  it  was  declared  to  have 
been  adopted  by  a  vote  of  3,938  to  3,838.  State  officers 


4O  OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA   HISTORY 

were  chosen  at  the  same  election,  and  David  Butler,  the 
Republican  candidate,  was  declared  to  have  been  elected 
Governor  by  a  vote  of  4,093  to  3,984  cast  for  his  demo- 
cratic opponent,  J.  Sterling  Morton.  There  was  a  bitter 
contest  over  the  result  of  the  election,  the  Democrats  al- 
leging that  it  was  reached  by  a  fraudulent  count.  All  of 
the  Republican  candidates  for  state  offices  were  elected 
except  Oliver  P.  Mason,  candidate  for  the  office  of  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  who  was  defeated  by  Wil- 
liam A.  Little,  Democrat. 

First  State  Under  the  first  constitution  the  legislature  was  called 
the  general  assembly  and  consisted  of  a  Senate  of  thirteen 
members  and  a  House  of  Representatives  of  thirty-nine 
members, — the  same  number  as  the  later  territorial  as- 
sembly contained.  The  assembly  had  regular  biennial 
sessions.  The  first  session  of  the  state  legislature  began 
July  4,  1866,  according  to  a  provision  of  the  constitution. 
The  only  business  transacted  at  this  session  was  the  elec- 
tion of  John  M.  Thayer  and  Thomas  W.  Tipton  for 
United  States  Senators  by  a  vote  of  29  to  21  cast  for  J. 
Sterling  Morton  and  Andrew  J.  Poppleton,  the  Demo- 
cratic candidates. 

Admission  The  constitution  contained  a  provision,  which  was 
as  a  State,  found  in  the  constitutions  of  most  of  the  states  of  that 
period,  limiting  the  right  to  vote  to  white  men ;  but  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1867,  Congress  passed  an  act,  over  President 
Johnson's  veto,  requiring  the  legislature  to  formally  de- 
clare that  the  right  of  suffrage  should  not  be  denied  to 
any  person  on  account  of  race  or  color.  Accordingly, 
Governor  Saunders — territorial  governor — called  the  sec- 
ond legislature,  whose  members  were  chosen  at  the  regu- 
lar election  in  October,  1866,  to  meet  in  special  session  on 
the  20th  of  February,  1867,  to  comply  with  this  act  of 
Congress.  The  condition  having  been  accepted,  on  the 
first  of  March  following  President  Johnson  issued  a 
proclamation  declaring  that  the  territory  was  duly  ad- 
mitted as  a  state. 

Removal  of     The  third  session  of  the  general  assembly  convened 

tbe  Capital.  May  1 6,  1867,  on  the  call  of  Governor  Butler,  for  the 

purpose  of  passing  such  laws  as  were  thought  necessary 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  4! 

for  the  new  state.  At  this  session,  on  the  I4th  of  June, 
a  bill  was  passed  which  authorized  three  commissioners, 
consisting  of  the  Governor,  the  Secretary  of  State  and 
the  Auditor,  to  select  not  less  than  640  acres  of  land  be- 
longing to  the  state  for  the  site  of  a  town  to  be  called  . 
Lincoln,  where  the  capital,  the  state  university,  and  the 
state  penitentiary  should  be  located.  The  commission- 
ers were  limited  in  their  choice  of  a  site  to  Seward 
county,  the  south  half  of  Butler  and  Saunders  and  the 
part  of  Lancaster  lying  north  of  the  south  line  of  town- 
ship nine,  and  they  were  directed  to  construct  a  capitol 
and  pay  its  cost  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  land 
comprised  in  the  site.  The  name  of  the  new  capital  was 
changed  from  "Capitol  City"  to  Lincoln  just  before  the 
passage  of  the  bill. 

On  the  29th  of  July,  1867,  the  commissioners  chose  . 
the  site  which  comprised  960  acres  and  included  a  hamlet 
of  about  forty  people  called  Lancaster.  On  the  I4th  of 
August  they  issued  a  proclamation  announcing  their  ac- 
tion. One  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  the  site  was  saline 
land  belonging  to  the  state.  The  remaining  eight  hun- 
dred acres  was  under  private  ownership.  The  Lancaster 
Seminary  Association  gave  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
Some  of  the  several  holders  received  money  raised  by 
subscription  for  their  part,  while  others  were  content 
with  the  consideration  of  the  increase  of  value  of  other 
land,  held  by  them  in  the  vicinity,  which  would  result 
from  the  transaction. 

The  capitol,  which  cost  about  $75,000,   and  the  first Construc- 
building  for  the  asylum  for  the  insane,  which  cost  about  tion  of  State 
$90,000,  and  the  first  building  for  the  university,  whichBuiIdings' 
cost  $152,000,  were  paid  for  by  the  proceeds  of  the  sale 
of  the  lots  into  which  the  site  was  divided.    The  capitol 
was  ready  for  occupancy  by  December,  1868.     The  leg- 
islature first  convened  in   it  at  its  fifth  session,   begun 
January  7,  1869.    An  act  of  the  legislature  of  February 
15,   1869,  authorized  the  construction  of  a  building  for 
the  state  university  and  one  for  an  asylum  for  the  insane. 
They  were  built  during  the  years  1869  and  1870.     The 
corner  stone  of  the  first  university  building  was  laid  Sep- 


42  OUTLINE  OF   NEBRASKA    HISTORY 

tember  23,  1869,  and  it  was  ready  for  occupancy  by  Jan- 
uary, 1871.  The  first  term  was  opened  in  it  September 
7,  1871.  The  asylum  was  finished  November  8,  1870. 
.  All  of  these  buildings  were  badly  constructed.  The  asy- 
lum was  burned  by  the  act  of  incendiaries,  April  17,  1871, 
presumably  to  procure  the  insurance  upon  it,  since  there 
was  imminent  danger  of  its  collapse;  it  was  necessary  to 
replace  the  foundation  of  the  university  building-;  and  the 
capitol  was  in  a  tumble-down  condition  before  it  was 
razed  to  make  place  for  its  successor. 

Impeach-  Governor  Butler  was  impeached  for  malfeasance  in 
J?en*°*rthe  office  ^  the  legislature  of  1871.  He  was  found  guilty  on 
the  first  of  the  eleven  articles  which  charged  him  with 
appropriating  to  his  own  use  $16,881.26  belonging  to  the 
school  fund  of  the  state.  He  was  removed  from  office 
and  William  H.  James,  the  Secretary  of  State,  was  Act- 
ing Governor  until  the  end  of  Butler's  term.  Butler  was 
elected  governor  three  times, — in  1866,  in  1868,  and  in 
1870. 

State  Con-  The  first  constitution  was  inadequate  for  a  growing 
stitutions.  state  and  so  a  convention,  comprising  52  members,  which 
sat  in  Lincoln  from  June  13  to  August  19,  1871,  con- 
structed another,  which  was  rejected  by  a  majority  of 
641  at  an  election  held  September  19  of  that  year.  The 
present  constitution  was  prepared  by  a  convention  of  69 
delegates  who  were  chosen  at  an  election  held  April  6, 
1875,  and  which  convened  May  n,  and  finally  adjourned 
June  12  of  that  year.  The  constitution  was  approved  by 
a  vote  of  30,202  to  5,474  at  an  election  held  on  the  I2th 
of  the  following  October. 

Farmers'  The   first   local    Farmers'    Alliance   was   organized   in 

Alliance.  Gage  county  in  1880.  The  State  Alliance  was  organized 
in  1881.  The  Alliance  was  at  first  a  non-partisan  body, 
but  June  28,  1890,  it  issued  a  call  for  a  state  convention 
of  the  Peoples'  Independent  party  to  be  held  July  29. 
This  convention  nominated  a  state  ticket  headed  by  John 
H.  Powers,  for  governor,  and  the  new  party  controlled 
the  legislature  of  1891.  The  State  Grange  and  Knights 
of  Labor  were  represented  in  the  convention. 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  43 

Until  1890  republicans  held  firmly  to  power,  but  that  Political 
year  James  E.  Boyd,  Democrat,  was  elected  governor,  Changes, 
receiving  71,331  votes  against  70,187  cast  for  John  H. 
Powers,  Independent,  and  68,878  for  L.  D.  Richards,  Re- 
publican. At  the  same  election  William  J.  Bryan,  Demo- 
crat; William  A.  McKeighan,  Independent-Democrat; 
and  Omer  M.  Kem,  Independent,  were  chosen  for  mem- 
bers of  Congress.  The  Senate  of  1891  comprised  18  In- 
dependents, 8  Democrats  and  7  Republicans;  the  House 
of  Representatives,  54  Independents,  25  Democrats,  and 
21  Republicans.  This  legislature  passed  the  first  Aus- 
tralian ballot  law  and  a  law  materially  reducing  railroad 
rates  for  transportation  of  freight. 

In  1892  Lorenzo  Crounse,  Republican,  was  elected 
governor.  In  1893  the  legislature  elected  William  V. 
Allen,  Populist,  United  States  Senator.  In  1894  Silas 
A.  Holcomb  was  elected  governor  by  a  fusion  of  the  , 
Democratic  and  Peoples  Independent  parties.  He  re- 
ceived 97,815  votes  against  94,613  cast  for  Thomas  J. 
Majors,  Republican.  All  of  the  Republican  candidates 
for  other  state  offices  were  elected.  Five  of  the  six  mem- 
bers of  Congress  elected  this  year  were  Republicans.  The 
entire  fusion  state  ticket  was  elected  in  1896  and  1898. 
The  Republican  party  again  came  into  control  in  the  leg- 
islature of  1895.  In  1900  the  Republican  state  ticket  was 
elected,  and  the  Republican  party  continued  to  control 
the  executive  and  legislative  departments  until  1908  when 
Ashton  C.  Shallenberger,  Democrat,  was  elected  governor 
by  a  plurality  of  about  7,000  votes,  and  the  legislature  was 
democratic.  In  1910  all  of  the  Republican  candidates  for 
executive  offices  were  elected;  but  the  legislature  was 
democratic  and  Gilbert  M.  Hitchcock,  Democrat,  was 
elected  United  States  Senator.  William  J.  Bryan,  candi- 
date for  president  of  the  United  States,  carried  the  state 
by  a  plurality  of  about  13,000  votes  in  1896  and  in  1908 
by  a  plurality  of  about  4,000  votes. 

In  1874  grasshoppers  invaded  the  state  and  did  great  Qrass. 
injury  to  crops.     They'  remained  during  1875  and  1876,  hopper 
but  most  of  the  damage  was  done  in  1874  and  1875.     In  Tnvasion. 
the  early  part  of  1875  the  federal  congress  appropriated 


44 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY 


The 

Drouth 

Period. 


Political 
Corruption 
and  Im- 
peachment 
of  State 
Officers. 


$30,000  iii  money  for  the  purchase  of  seeds,  and  rations 
and  clothing  to  the  value  of  $150,000  to  be  distributed 
among  the  people  of  the  several  states  which  had  suffered. 
The  legislature  of  1875  authorized  the  issue  of  ten-year, 
ten  per  cent  bonds  in  the  sum  of  $50,000  for  the 
purchase  of  seed  grain.  In  September,  1874,  the  Ne- 
braska Relief  and  Aid  Association  was  formed,  through 
which  donations  of  money,  food,  and  other  supplies  were 
distributed.  The  State  Grange  also  vigorously  conducted 
the  work  of  relief ;  army  officers  cooperated  in  it  and  rail- 
toad  companies  interested  in  the  state  were  large  con- 
tributors. Donations  were  received  from  all  parts  of  the 
country.  It  was  estimated  that  5,000  persons  in  eleven 
frontier  counties  were  almost  wholly  dependent  upon  this 
charity  during  the  winter  of  1874-75. 

Severe  drouths  in  1890,  1893,  and  1894  were  disastrous 
to  crops,  especially  in  the  western  part  of  the  state. 
The  legislature  of  1891  authorized  the  issue  of  five- 
year,  four  per  cent  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $100,000  for 
the  purchase  of  seed  grain  and  other  supplies  to  be  dis- 
tributed, through  a  board  of  relief  consisting  of  nine 
members,  to  sufferers  from  loss  of  crops  in  1890.  The 
same  legislature  authorized  counties  to  use  surplus  funds 
and  to  issue  bonds  for  the  purchase  of  supplies  to  be  sold 
at  cost  to  such  sufferers,  and  it  appropriated  $100,000 
from  the  state  treasury  for  immediate  relief.  The  legis- 
lature of  1895  appropriated  $50,000  for  food  and  cloth- 
ing and  $200,000  for  the  purchase  and  distribution  of 
seed,  and  feed  for  teams.  County  boards  were  also  au- 
thorized to  issue  bonds  and  use  surplus  funds  for  the  lat- 
ter purpose.  In  1891  supplies  were  distributed  in  37 
counties  during  about  six  weeks  to  an  average  of  8,000 
^families;  in  1895,  in  61  counties  and  to  about  30,000  fam- 
ilies. Donations  amounting  to  $28,999.38  were  received 
from  people  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

The  legislature  of  1893  presented  articles  of  impeach- 
ment against  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Lands  and 
Buildings,  the  Secretary  of  State,  the  Treasurer  of  State, 
and  the  Attorney  General,  who  constituted  the  Board  of 
Public  Lands  and  Buildings  in  1891  and  1892,  and  also 


OUTLINE   OF    NEBRASKA    HISTORY  45 

the  Auditor  of  State  from  1889  to  1892  and  the  Attorney 
General  from  1886  to  1890.  These  officers  were  charged, 
with  liability  for  frauds  committed  in  the  management  of 
the  state  penitentiary  and  the  hospital  for  the  insane,  but 
the  defendants  were  all  acquitted, — part  of  them  on  the 
ground  that  they  were  then  out  of  office  and  could  be  im- 
peached only  while  in  office,  and  the  rest  on  the  ground 
that  the  frauds  were  really  committed  by  subordinates 
and  the  officers  themselves  were  not  legally  responsible 
for  them.  These  defenses  were  more  or  less  technical. 
There  was  a  general  investigation  of  the  administration 
of  state  institutions  on  charges  of  corruption  and  mis- 
management, especially  at  the  penitentiary  and  the  hos- 
pital for  the  insane.  The  exposures  resulted  in  the 
criminal  prosecution  of  several  persons  implicated  in 
frauds  on  the  insane  hospital. 

By  the  failure  of  the  Capital  National  Bank  in  Febru- 
ary, 1893,  the  state  lost  $236,364.62  which  had  been 
wrongfully  deposited  there  by  the  state  treasurer.  Dur- 
ing his  two  terms  of  office  Joseph  E.  Bartley,  state  treas- 
urer, misappropriated  $555,790.66  of  the  public  funds, 
which  was  a  complete  loss  to  the  state.  In  his  annual 
message  of  1907  Governor  Mickey  said:  "The  people 
were  robbed  of  this  immense  sum  which  had  been  exacted 
from  them  to  run  the  government  in  times  of  financial 
distress."  Bartley  was  convicted  of  embezzlement  and 
sentenced  to  the  state  penitentiary  for  a  term  of  20  years, 
but  December  31,  1901,  Governor  Ezra  P.  Savage  com- 
muted the  sentence  to  five  years  seven  months  and  eight 
days.  This  act  met  with  severe  public  denunciation. 

To  1909  inclusive,  there  have  been  23  state  legislatures,  Number  of 
and  they  have  held  31  sessions, — 21  regular  and  10  spe-  Legisla- 
cial.    Six  of  these  legislatures  were  organized  under  the  ture^  and 
first  constitution, — of  1866,— and  they  held  four  regular  Sessions> 
and  nine  special  sessions.     The  last  special  session  was 
convened  May  10,  1882. 

According  to  the  United  States  census  reports  the  pop-  Population, 
ulation  of  Nebraska  in  1860  was  28,841 ;  1870,  122,993 ; 
1880,  452,402;   1890,^1,058,910;   1900,   1,066,300;   1910, 
1,192,217. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL    FINE     OF     25     CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  5O  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


OCT     13  1932 


OCT  14   1932 


OCT  15 

DEC  29  1 

OCT  9  1940 


SEP   12 

JUN    1 


REC'D  LD 

FEB 1 8 1963 


33 


LIBRARY  USE 

FEB  251957 


LD  21-50m-8,-32 


YC  28 1 90 


7709 

35-ta 


JO    -LJIO 


